Takaramono
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: Sequel to "Yuka". Kanda has always been careful, but now he's let someone in. Just how much can Miranda push him before he decides it's better for both of them to stop? Hints at some adult stuff, but not explicit. A really good read! R&R, please!


**Takaramono**

A -Man fanfic/songfic

By mew-tsubaki

Note: Obviously these characters belong to Hoshino Katsura-sensei, though I love them dearly. This is the sequel to "Yuka" (though a little bit sexy, maybe?) and more things will make sense if you read it first, but this is fairly stand-alone, too. This is my third D. Gray Man fic, so let me know what you think in a review! Also, keep the song "Treasure" by Flyleaf in mind for the story (I know, I'm using Flyleaf again, but I love them so much!!!); I don't want to disrupt the story, so I'll include the lyrics to it in my end note. You'll see what I mean when I say it goes with the entirety of the story!

* * *

He was as stubborn as a bull and as proud as a lion.

…

…but he was also her Yuka!

Miranda Lotto smiled at the thought. She'd always wondered if her feelings for him were one-sided, but –three months ago, a week and a half after returning from the close-call mission to Athens –he'd shown her that he cared, all right. So it didn't matter that she was still his secret. She knew now how much of a secret she meant to him. Besides, she got the real him when they were alone together, which happened a lot more often lately. And she loved every minute of it.

Actually, things seemed to be doing well in all areas. They were all reaching tip-top shape after so long resting and regaining their strength. They'd collected two new Innocence, though they had yet to find any new Accomodators to use the weapons. There hadn't been any major akuma attacks, Komui wasn't breathing down their necks to do something useful, and Kanda had been true to his word in being himself around her. Life couldn't get any better.

Yuka sighed one night when she beamed. "If you smile like that the whole time, it will only be a distraction."

Miranda turned her sweet grin on him. "That's not my fault that you're susceptible to my charms." She allowed her eyes to hungrily take in the sight of his eyes on her. "I'm just enjoying the peaceful time right now."

He frowned. "It'd be more peaceful if I could focus on my meditation."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." She sighed, her smile wavering only slightly. Miranda drew her knees up to her chin and hugged them to her. She lost herself in thought, and Yuka turned to her, his legs still crossed.

"You're smiling, yet you look troubled." It wasn't a question, or even much of an invitation to divulge her feelings. But she knew him well enough by now to understand that he _wanted_ to understand –somewhat –what was going through her head.

"It's because…because peaceful times don't always last." Miranda sighed again. "It's not that I'm trying to rain on everyone's parade-"

"You're just being logical," he interrupted. "You're right; things can't be quiet all the time. Conflict keeps the world revolving."

The brunette nodded. "But I _am_ trying to get the best out of this halcyon period right now." She stretched out her legs and leaned back a bit. "And it's nice."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuka sneak a small smile when he thought she wasn't looking. She didn't tell him she caught him; she knew if she did, it'd probably be a while before she saw it again. Instead, she released a content sigh and inched slowly towards him so she could lean on his arm. Surprisingly, he didn't move. He fixed his position and went back to meditating. Even he –blood-thirsty Kanda –was enjoying the peaceful time.

* * *

For Kanda, letting someone in was a challenge. The others didn't know much about him because he wanted it that way. But Miranda Lotto seemed dead-set to accept him no matter what.

The only challenge was if he would accept her.

A growl escaped Kanda's throat one evening while he was alone in his room. Why had he Frenched the woman that one time? Why did he have…_feelings_ (he shuddered at the word) for her? And why _did_ he have to be susceptible to her smile?!

_If I was true to my word, though, and stayed myself around her…_ His thoughts turned smoky dark. _Wouldn't my past eventually come out?_ He clutched Mugen, his Innocence, while all-too vivid memories floated angrily to the forefront of his mind.

And that wasn't the only problem. Kanda felt like their comrades were starting to take real notice of him and Miranda, which he didn't like. It was one thing to let one person in, but it was entirely different for everyone to know him. He also felt like he could predict the Chief's reaction to seeing two coworkers together. And Miranda… Miranda shouldn't have to feel like the town freak again.

Kanda pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. This was why he hated relationships. They were too complicated and he hated the public side of things. Though in theory they were supposed to be something private, they were always too public.

A knock at the door interrupted his qualms, and Miranda's curvy yet lithe form slipped inside to meditate with him. She smiled, and he grimaced behind his impassive mask.

_Kami, help me._ He knew he couldn't let this go on.

* * *

She didn't know what, but Miranda felt something change in Yuka that night. And not for the good.

It… It was similar to when he had shut her out during the Athens mission, but it was also very different. On the trip to Athens, it had just been his cold-heartedness. But this…

He stopped meeting her eyes. They still talked a bit, but she didn't like the fact that he wouldn't look her in the eye. And she didn't see any secret smiles anymore, either. Actually, his face was now constantly wrought with anguish.

_But he's healed now._ Miranda bit her lip as he turned away from her at lunch one day to stand and dispose of his empty dish. Her eyes roved over his body. Nothing looked –wait, what was that? She squinted, but breathed with relief. No, it was just one tendril of his tattoo peeking out from his sleeveless turtleneck shirt. So if it wasn't something she could visibly see, then what was it?

_If anything,_ she thought glumly as she cupped her cheek in her palm. Last time they'd been like this, she'd thought it was just Kanda. Then she'd thought it was just her. Now the anguish told her it wasn't either of them, but that her Yuka knew the root of the current problem.

And that wasn't the only problem. The real challenge was getting Kanda to come clean, which she thought harder to do than defeat a wave of Level Three akuma like they'd done in Athens. So when Kanda began ignoring her again like he'd done four months ago, Miranda steeled herself for this long cold war. She'd done before and she'd do it once again:

She'd get him to open up.

* * *

The tension between the two was slowly reaching out to the others. At least it kept Allen and Lavi from making any remarks like they had before. That suited Miranda just fine, since she had yet to find a way to make Yuka talk.

"Yuka," she said tersely, following his silent form out from the dining hall after breakfast several days later. "You've got to talk to me."

Kanda stopped about a meter in front of her. But he didn't turn around or say anything. Instead he moved on as if she hadn't been there.

Miranda sighed. She wondered if healing this rift was going to take as long as or longer than the last time. She chewed her lip, hoping that wasn't the case. She really did love him-

She froze. Holy Ghost, she'd said it. Well, thought it, really, but nonetheless…

The Exorcist hastened her pace back to her room. As the thought replayed itself over and over again against her wishes, she grew more accustomed to it. Actually, she'd decided, love seemed to be the perfect choice of word for what she felt for him. Kya!! She'd thought it again!!

Miranda dove onto her bed and buried her face in her pillows.

_God, help me._ She knew she wanted this to go on forever.

* * *

A week later, things crumbled.

Yes, Miranda'd been hounding him, but she had been even less successful than last time. She'd tried everything: being herself, being angry, being impassive about it, being cheery. Nothing could get to Yuka.

But Kanda even stopped eating with her and she was also shut out from meditating with him. Miranda was beginning to glare a lot –just like him.

And Yuka knew what he was doing. He knew how he was making her feel. But he _had_ to reign this in before it became too much for either of them. But… But…! _Curses,_ this was hard to do.

He meditated alone that Friday. Kanda understood the strain this was putting on him, but he knew that stopping this was for the best. Besides, conjuring up those horrific memories of his… That was all the excuse he needed to stop her from getting any closer to him. Rather, to stop him from getting any closer to him.

He hardly slept that night, as did Miranda in another part of the dorms in her own room. She ended up staying up the whole night, and she frowned when she saw the sun rise from her window. It was only going to be another day and quiet cat-and-mouse.

Catching him in the hall on the way to lunch later that day, Miranda tried pleading with him again. "Yuka," she intoned, hoping that the use of his nickname would work on him this time. "Don't pretend to be like this."

Kanda stilled before her like last time, and everyone else just passed by them as if nothing strange was occurring. Since he was facing away from her, she couldn't see his grimace at his own stupidity.

"Yuka!" she repeated lowly, and she reached out for his hand, touching it. Well, at least he wasn't shying away from her touch.

However, around them wolf-whistles and cat-calls rang through the hall, and Miranda crimsoned. Oh, crap; she could already see him whipping around to finally face her, though things moved excruciatingly slowly for her, she thought it wouldn't stop.

He sent her a death-glare. "Leave me _alone_!!" he snapped. He hustled away from her, but she remained hot on his heels.

The brunette stopped him when they reached a quieter, emptier space of the corridor. "Don't you think I deserve _some_ kind of explanation for your behavior?" she inquired sternly.

"I asked you to leave me alone," he repeated. Finally, Kanda met her eyes. "Whatever…_friendship_ existed between us is over." And he walked away.

_How _dare_ he!!!_ her thoughts raged. _'Friendship?' FRIENDSHIP??!!! No _way_ was that just 'friendship'!!_ She caught herself and took a few deep breaths. _No. No 'was'. 'Is'. There's no way I'm going to let him stop this. Not when I can read on his face that his actions are contradicting his emotions._ Miranda inhaled and exhaled very deeply, and she was able to reign in her own anger. _I'll get to him later. For now, it's probably best to let him go and think he's won. So when I barge in later, he won't be expecting it._

_ "I never gave up on you", my foot._

* * *

True to her word, Miranda spent the rest of the day as she normally would have –minus her Yuka. She had lunch and dinner as usual, and she hung out with Lenalee. She and Lenalee organized part of Komui's library, and they'd paused here-and-there to read some titles and talk about favorites.

But when it was supposed to be lights out a couple of hours after dinner, Miranda pounced.

Earlier in the day, Miranda'd crumpled up a wad of paper and stuffed it into the recess in the doorjamb so that his door wouldn't lock and she could confront him later. What? It's a handy trick when you don't have a key. … Um, please don't try this at home. -_-;

Anyway, she crept inside as quietly as she could and shut the door behind her just as secretively. When she turned around, she gulped. Yuka wore his hair down and he sat in his usual meditation pose. But apparently it was a little warm for him, for he hadn't on his shirt. From the moonlight that poured in from his high-set window, his pale skin shone. And his tattoo stood out as black as his blue-black hair.

She swallowed and fought back the desire. "I'm not here to apologize for earlier."

Of course, that began the argument of the century. His eyes flicked opened and he glared at her (I know, he does that to everyone). "You were completely out of line!" he chided.

Miranda rolled her eyes. Of course he'd take the bait and see an opportunity to argue. "For touching the back of your _hand_?!" she shot back.

"You hang around my area and me too much!" he snarled, standing but not looking at her.

She sized up his profile. "So I guess it's just too bad for you to look like you have any compassion whatsoever!!" she yelled, stepping closer to him.

He stomped closer, too. "You're acting like we're much more than we are!"

Miranda huffed and slammed her heel down on the floor. She _had_ to take offense to that one. "Well, EXCUSE me for misinterpreting that kiss where you shoved your tongue into my mouth! May I remind you that you also had me pinned defenseless against a wall?!"

"I am not some depraved monster!" Kanda barked, his cheeks aflame at the memory of his vulgar actions.

"That's what I'm trying to prove you're not!!"

He sneered. "And how's that working out for you?!"

"It'd work better if you'd just admit this isn't something merely platonic between us!!" she hissed with a Yuka-fashion death-glare.

She knew she was getting to him, for he faltered a second before spitting out, "You don't know the MEANING of platonic!!!"

"You know what?" she said with a very hard push against his smooth chest. "Maybe I don't!!"

Miranda pushed him hard again and he backed down, not wanting to hurt a woman. But when she shoved him again, harder than the first two times, she caught him in a hard kiss. Just as roughly, she pulled away and looked into his dark eyes. Before she knew it, she was kissing him again, deeper this time.

Kanda couldn't fight his stupidity anymore. His whole body reacted to her, and he pulled her down on top of him. This was nothing like the passionate kisses they'd shared before. This was something felt on innumerable levels, both tangible and intangible. It was something wild and feral and carnal. His fingertips were ghosts on her skin, and the both of them were lost to passion.

Any time she pulled away for a breath or to get a look at him, he just pulled her back to him and crushed his lips over those plush petals. And while that tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt of hers looked great on her, it looked a whole lot better off. And while her hair was sexy when pulled back to reveal her inviting neck, those tendrils were so much better free and loose to curl and be curled in his fingers. And those shining eyes that were a burning mix between garnet and onyx…they were on him, and saw only him.

And he saw only her.

* * *

Sometime early the following morning, Miranda woke. Had it all been a dream? It had seemed so real…

Then she felt the solid body beneath her arm, and the warmth that radiated from him. Wow. That had been real. She'd… With Yuka… Miranda blushed from head to toe, but snuggled in. So what? She loved him –even more than she realized –and that passion of his… Her Yuka wouldn't say it, but she now knew he felt exactly the same way. She traced her finger along his tattoo, starting on his collar bone and ending on his heart. She let her hand rest there until he woke.

It was about fifteen or so minutes until he did. When he opened his eyes, they widened, obviously remembering what had happened as he, too, blushed (Miranda tittered silently that they'd both had the same reaction). But he got over it just as she had. He squeezed her to him, his palm against her head, his fingers and his nose buried in her hair. She hadn't been a dream…

"Nee, kiite…" Kanda breathed in her scent. "In my language… 'Takaramono' means 'treasure'."

Miranda tilted her head up quizzically. She blinked her eyes a couple of times.

"Atashi no Andi-chan was takaramono," he breathed against her lips.

She smiled. "And what does that mean?" she whispered. She was answered with a soft snore. She sighed contently. The brunette promised to get the translation out of him later as she fell back asleep against his rising and falling chest.

* * *

Later in the morning, the couple woke and dressed to head to breakfast. Kanda got his tofu first and headed to get them a table while Miranda took her time picking something to eat. She was starving, but she didn't know for what.

_Besides Yuka,_ a teasing voice in her head taunted.

Miranda reddened and grabbed a bowl of cold cereal. Breakfast was pleasant enough. Yuka seemed kinder (yes, it's possible) when he was alone with her. Actually, he even seemed okay with the idea of her leaving the mess hall with him.

After they were done and on their way out, Lenalee flagged Miranda down. "Yes, Lenalee?" Miranda wondered if there was another mission.

"Um," Lenalee began, the apples of her cheeks pink, "I was wondering where you were last night. I found that book we'd been talking about. I was going to loan it to you, but you weren't in your room…"

A squeak escaped Miranda's lips before she could stop it, and she heard Yuka's pace speed up behind her. Of course, just then Allen and Lavi came up behind Lenalee. Lavi blinked in astonishment. "Did you really just say…?" he asked the Chinese girl.

Allen's eyes darted to Kanda. "Someone's trying to escape, as well," he commented with raised eyebrows. "Miranda-"

Our Yuka's possessiveness kicked in when he heard his enemy say his girl's name. Just as quickly as he had left, he came right back, grabbed Miranda's hand and tugged her behind him. "Ikuze, Andi-chan." And Miranda giddily followed.

* * *

**WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUKAxANDI IS OUT!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I **_**really**_** enjoyed writing this one, so if you don't review it, that's just cruel to them. … HEE! I'm just so happy after churning out three stories for them, one right after the other. Y'know, I think Miranda really does have it in her to soften him up, though I kind of understood why he felt the way he did (and he makes sense when you can see things from his point of view, too, right?). So, anyone curious as to what his Japanese was? Here goes:**

** -'Kami': Japanese for 'God'**

** -'Nee, kiite': literally, 'Hey, listen'**

** -'Takaramono': you guessed it, it's 'treasure'**

** -'Ikuze, Andi-chan': 'Come on' or 'Let's go', followed by Yuka's nickname for Miranda (Andi-chan)**

** And the one you've all been waiting for: 'Atashi no Andi-chan wa takaramono' –'My Andi-chan is a/my treasure' (now you know why he said it in Japanese; it'd be WAY too sappy and OOC for Kanda to say this in English, the one language he shares with his love…but isn't he so cute when he's romantic? *squeee!*)**

**So that's pretty much that. The next two fics might be a little slower coming, since I'm gonna be busy again, and they will be shorter, but **_**very**_** humorous! Up next is "Haiku Hell", so please be patient with me! It might be out in a week or two (I hope… -_-;) **

**So review! And here are the lyrics that go with the story!! (And sorry for the extremely long end note!! *yipes*)**

**-mew-tsubaki XD**

**"Treasure" –© Flyleaf**

**That night I felt like I'd become something treasured, different**

**Can I tell you a story,**

**As we dance while the sun starts to bleed?**

**Song of songs, love is calling**

**Daughter wake up from your sleep**

**Refined, I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure**

**I'll be treasured over all the earth**

**Bearing the gift of a new heart**

**Patience ablaze I'm slowly burning**

**Refined, I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure**

**I'll be treasured over all the earth**

**Refined, I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure**

**I'll be treasured over all the earth**

**I am in awe and in shock, I'm in love and given away**

**I'm reserved with these words**

**Can I tell you a story,**

**As we dance while the sun starts to bleed?**

**Trees rejoice with the wind here, hallelujah Yeshua**

**Tonight I've become the most dazzling precious treasure**

**I am treasured over all the earth**

**Just look at what he's done, how he's laying down his life**

**Take this life, oh, most dazzling precious treasure**

**Tonight I've become the most dazzling precious treasure**

**I am treasured over all the earth**


End file.
